Traveling Soldier
by midsummernight94
Summary: Murtagh falls in love with Nasuada and has to fight in a war. AU- A bit OOC, rated T


**This is my first Mur/Nas fan-fiction so don't expect too much. I actually love this pairing, but I can never get the characters right, so they will probably be a bit OOC. Any way, this story is an AU that takes place in the U.S. during the war in Vietnam. I don't own the song Traveling Soldier or the Inheritance Cycle, the belong to Christepher Paloni and the Dixie Chicks. I'm only writing this for fun, I am not making an profit from this. **

* * *

_Two days past eighteen,_

_he was waitin' for the bus in_

_his army green. Sat in a booth_

_of a café there, gave his order _

_to a girl with bow in her hair._

Murtagh slid into one of the café booths discreetly, not even bothering to look at the menu a waitress had placed in front of him. He doubted he would have been able to eat anyway, in five hours he'd be a dead man. If basic training didn't kill him, the war certainly would. He had no doubt he'd be sent off to 'Nam, his life was kinda shitty that way.

"Excuse me?" he look up to see a waitress standing over his solder, looking somewhat impatient. The waitress was a young Black woman with long curly hair tied back with a purple ribbon, and she was far better looking then the other one. Murtagh felt a blush creep up the back of his neck when he realized she had been standing there for almost three minutes.

"Sorry," he mumbled dejectedly. God, she must think he was a simpleton. "I was a bit…distracted." The girl's deep brown eyes wandered over his army uniform and she flashed him a knowing smile. "I'm Nasuada," she said in reply. "What can I get for you?" he fumbled with the menu, trying to open it properly, and he ordered the first thing his eyes landed on.

"I'll have an All-American cheeseburger with fries and a Coke?" Even to him it sounded like a question, and he nearly slapped himself for his stupidity. Nasuada flashed him another smile.

"Coming right up," Her eyes turned toward the waitress that had given Murtagh his menu and he realized she had a somewhat over eager look on her face as she made her way to the table. "It's alright Trianna, I'm taking care of him," the other girl's eager smile quickly turned into a frown and he was bemused to watch her stomp off as Nasuada turned back toward him.

"Sorry about that, Trianna can come on a little strong," she said in a conspiratorial voice before stalking off toward the kitchen. His food was ready rather quickly, and he was pleased to see Nasuada was the one to deliver it. He paid almost no attention to the food, instead making a conversation with her. He was surprised that she even answered back, let alone stand next to his booth for ten minutes talking to him like there weren't any other customers in the café. The other costumers had noticed her absence however, and they were getting impatient.

"Waitress!" the shrill voice of a mother a few tables away interrupted Murtagh mid sentence and he frowned as Nasuada turned away with a mumbled "Sorry" to take the woman's orders.

"Wait!" he grabbed onto her wrist, and she seemed a bit impatient as she turned back toward him.

"Murtagh…"

"Would you like to go do something when you get off work? If it's at all possible?" It was stupid of him to ask, but what was the worst thing that could happen, besides her saying no? He only had about four hours until he left anyway, and he doubted he would ever see her again. But he still couldn't help hoping that she'd say yes.

"I'm off in an hour," she replied quickly, breaking into another smile. "Do you think you can wait that long?" her voice became more serious, Murtagh dared to think it was because she was actually worried about him.

It was his turn to smile. "I still have a few hours," he said reassuring voice, and she smiled again. "Good." She went over to the mother's table and he heard her apologize for taking so long. It was even less then an hour when she reappeared at his table ready to go.

They walked over to the pier together, even going on a few rides while they waited for the bus that would take him to basic training. After two hours they were sitting on the edge of the dock, watching the sunset. Well, Nasuada was watching the sunset, Murtagh was watching her. After a few moments pause he turned to her and said, "I know you probably have a boyfriend, but I don't have anyone to send a letter to, and I like you a lot, would you mind if I- I mean, would it bother you at all if I- Ah shit this sounded so much better in my head…" he melted as Nasuada's eyes searched his, and he forced himself to look back toward the ocean.

"Murtagh," she said in a calm, carefully measured voice.

"Hm?" he turned back to her reluctantly, feeling like the biggest idiot on earth.

"Stop talking." she pressed her lips against his gently and he kissed her back eagerly, letting his mind go blank for a few more minutes before he would leave forever.

*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*

Nasuada checked all the letters quickly, until she found what she wanted. It was the only letter addressed to her, and she felt immediately more cheerful. She never tired of seeing the curly print that spelled out her name, just like she never tired of hearing his voice whisper her name, even if it was only in her imagination. Dumping the rest of her family mail on the table, Nasuada ripped open the envelope and sat down to read Murtagh's newest letter.

_Dear Nasuada,_

_Things have gotten worse over here; I'm not sure if I want to describe them to you, although I know you'd be able to handle it. Honestly, I think your letters are the only thing keeping me sane. In your last letter, you said I could tell you anything, and I plan to hold you up on that offer. I'm in love with you-_Nasuada felt her heart skipped a beat. He _loved_ her, he actually cared for her the same way she cared for him. Her head started to swim giddily until she remembered that she hadn't finished his letter. She read it eagerly, drinking in every word.

_-I'm in love with you, and I plan to propose as soon as I get home. I don't know if you feel the same way or not, but that's not what I'm frightened of; I'm terrified that I won't make it home to tell you how I feel in person. Nasuada, I've heard of what going on in the States, and I want you to stay out of it, please, as a favor to me. _

_I'm not going to be able to write in a while, so don't worry about me. I'll write as soon as I can._

_Love,_

_Murtagh. _

Nasuada looked over the letter one last time, noticing for the first time how shaky the writing on the page was. He must have written it more quickly then the others, and she wondered what he had been doing while he was writing it. She had a sudden image of him being shot at, and she forced the thought out of her mind with a violent shake of her head. Murtagh had to be safe, he had told her not to worry after all. If he had been in any danger he would have told her, he would have warned her in some way.

Trying to force the more morbid thoughts from her mind, Nasuada grabbed a piece of paper from her notebook and started to scrawl down her reply.

_Dear Murtagh,_

_I feel the same for you, I can't believe you wouldn't think I did! Please Murtagh, be careful, and worry about yourself, not me. I live in a rather small town and most of the controversies about the war haven't reached us yet, so I'll be fine. But if you get hurt because your worrying about me I wouldn't be able to stand it. I love you, please, _please, _don't do anything that will get yourself hurt. Come home soon…_

_Love, _

_Nasuada_

*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*

It had been nearly two months since Nasuada had sent her reply to Murtagh, and now she had found herself forced to attend the school's home coming football game. Her parents had practically threw her from their house. According to them, she had been tense these past few weeks and needed a night out. They had only just found out about Murtagh's proposal, and they had insisted that she clear her head and think things through. She didn't feel the need to clear her head, but she had gone to ease her parents worry.

So here she was in the stands with her friends, finishing the Pledge and the Anthem and waiting for the game to start. As soon as the Anthem was finished however, a man came on the intercom and said in a sorrowful voice, "Over the years, the war in Vietnam has taken many lives. Please bow your heads and join us in a prayer for the most recent lost. Aaron Alexander, Thomas Banks, Cutler Bryson, Gary Bryson…" Nasuada listened quietly as the names rang out in the cold night air. Pity filled her as she thought about the poor families of those men. What would it feel like to lose people so close to you?

"…Murtagh Morzanson…" Nasuada gasped suddenly and her limbs started to shake uncontrollably. No it wasn't possible, it simply wasn't true. It _couldn't_be true, someone would have told her! It had to be a joke: a cruel, sick, twisted joke, but a joke none the less. But even as she denied it the cold truth dawned on her; Murtagh was _gone, _and he'd never be coming back.

Murtagh was dead.

Her body collapsed in on itself, and she sank onto one of the bleachers weakly. The world swam as Nasuada's eyes filledwith tears. She buried her head in her hands in an attempt to keep them from falling. She was slightly aware that one of her friends was rubbing her back and trying to comfort her, but it didn't matter. _Nothing_ mattered.

Murtagh was dead. The phrase repeated itself over and over in her head, like the toll of a funeral bell. Nasuada sobbed while her friends lead her away and drove her home, uselessly trying to calm her down. During the infinite drive home, Nasuada made a promise to herself and Murtagh. She'd never give her heart to another, she'd never let any one get that close to her again, not while memories of her poor soldier haunted her.

_I cried, never gonna hold_

_the hand of another guy._

_To young for him they told her, _

_waitin' for the love of a travilin' _

_soldier. _

_Our love will never end, waitin'_

_for the soldier to come back again._

_Never more to be alone when the letter _

_says a soldiers coming home._

_

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**So what did you think? Personally I think it sucked, but it's your opinion that counts. Please let me know what you thought!**


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